2018 Acura NSX Could Get a High-Performance Type-R Modification

By Justin Patterson16 Oct 2017

The resurrection of NSX is quite controversial – great mid-engine car with innovative hybrid powertrain, but still inferior to ‘Godzilla’ Nissan GT-R – that’s what Honda bosses couldn’t forgive. The 2018 Honda NSX is rumored to get a new high-performance version to beat up not only a GT-R but also some Italian supercars.

In Nurburgring

Recently, a two new NSX was spotted testing on a famous racetrack in Germany – Nurburgring. At first sight, the only small change noted in the car appearance – the wide usage of carbon fiber elements. There are also some special sensors installed on NSX – shows that Honda engineers are likely to try to make them faster.

Technical Changes for 2018 Acura NSX

Just to notice, the NSX powertrain is really complex – technically, it is more advanced than in billionaire-toy Porsche 918, for instance. It has complicated hybrid powertrain, consist of 2 electric motors in front, one electric motor in the middle, coupled with the good-old Honda’s 3.5 V6 from Acura MDX or other models, obviously retuned and remade, equipped with two turbochargers. The power formula is 36*2+47+500 horsepower, which transfers to 573 HP of net power. It even has two gearboxes, one with a dual clutch, and a small Li-ion battery of 1 kWh capacity. All those get both to the front and rear wheels, so its all-wheel drive. NSX is like Prius, Tesla and Lamborghini stick together.

What could be the specs changes for 2018 NSX? So, first of all, the weight decrease. The current NSX is too heavy for a quick supercar, and it’s pretty hard to make it lighter, due to the usage of batteries and auxiliary electric motors. Nevertheless, Honda could try it, by using new lightweight elements of body and further weight optimization.

Second thing – the output of electric motors or main internal combustion engine could be increased. Sources say that the overall output might exceed 600 HP, which is pretty much enough for a car like that.

Performance

Current NSX has stunning 3.1 seconds to sixty, and the top speed of 191 MPH which is high but not so impressive. The updated model might get 3 seconds flat or high twos for acceleration, and the top speed level a bit closer to magic 200 MPH grade.

NSX 2018 Exterior and interior

As we already mentioned above, the 2018 NSX might get some carbon fiber elements of the body. In every other aspect, including the front-end design with full-LED headlights, it is very unlikely to have any changes. The Acura NSX looks pretty unique, with the extra-wide body, sleek lines, and supercar-way mid-engine layout. You cannot name it ‘Ferrari for poor’ like it was for the previous generation NSX.

As for the interior, it looks as standard Acura interior, most of the elements you may find in ordinary Acura and Honda vehicles, the only change is better materials for upholstery. Those features are unlikely to change either.

That’s one of the downsides of the model – the interior design looks adequate to GT-R’s but doesn’t even close to Ferrari or Lamborghini. That’s a sad fact, because…

The Price is Still High

The pricing is higher than most 911s, GT-R, R8 and comparable to entry-level Huracan. That’s because of complicated hybrid-style engineering (the result is stunning 21 MPG in combined driving), but is it really worth it? The king for affordable supercars is still GT-R, or 911/R8 if you like German perfectionism. NSX stay the minor choice, but the 2018 Acura NSX could draw more supercar enthusiasts to the brand if they do everything well.

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